He said: "It's a huge loss for us. We are where we are with him. He was becoming one of the key men and was starting to get into his stride. Now he faces three or four months of rehab again. But these things happen and we have to take it on the chin. We want to make sure when he comes back, he comes back stronger.

"He's a great kid, the boys love him, When I got here, he was just coming back, but his attitude has been phenomenal. He's desperate to do well, it's just disappointing he has broken down. When he comes back, he will come back even stronger."